


There's a Ring in the House

by YesIsAWorld



Series: How to Fix Up a Heart [2]
Category: Harry Styles (Musician), Louis Tomlinson (Musician), One Direction (Band)
Genre: Fluff, Impatient Louis, M/M, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:29:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21908239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YesIsAWorld/pseuds/YesIsAWorld
Summary: Louis knows Harry is going to propose. He's terribly impatient about it.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Series: How to Fix Up a Heart [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1651234
Comments: 22
Kudos: 212





	There's a Ring in the House

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to [Lauren](http://kingsofeverything.tumblr.com/) for doing a quick beta on this and for making sure I actually finished writing it. [Check out the prompt here. ](https://louandhazaf.tumblr.com/post/189148438615/browsedankmemes-i-hope-these-two-have-wonderful)

“Are you sure we got the tickets for the movie tomorrow?” Louis knew he was being annoying. He didn’t want to be the boyfriend who was constantly asking Harry to double check that they did the thing they talked about doing, but ever since they showed up for the sold-out Kesha concert, both thinking the other had actually bought the tickets, Louis thought it was better safe than sorry to triple check things like this. 

Harry was… mostly… okay with it. 

“Yes, I promise. Here—“ Harry tilted his phone towards Louis as he pulled up his email. 

Louis grabbed the phone out of his hand; Harry’s typing was as slow as his speech pattern and Louis was being impatient. Harry put his head on Louis’ shoulder, and breathed in. Louis still hadn’t showered since his soccer practice and Harry loved when he smelled like drying sweat. Weirdo. Louis turned his head and kissed Harry’s curls. He loved this weirdo something fierce. 

Louis pulled up Harry’s email, and started to type in “confirmation.” Before it loaded though, Louis blinked and accidentally read a subject line from David Yurman: Order Confirmation. 

Louis froze. He felt Harry stiffen next to him. Louis’ hand shook as he typed in what he was searching for. 

Louis didn’t know what to do. They had talked about marriage so many times, and not just getting married, but building a life together — how they were going to mix finances and how many kids and on what timeline they wanted them, where they wanted to live, dreamed they shared, and how to make those separate dreams into one reality. So Louis was sure they were going to spend the rest of their lives together. But, the concrete reality was hitting him. Harry had bought a ring. 

Harry was going to propose. 

Louis didn’t say anything, he pretended like he hadn’t seen it, even as his heart rate picked up, and he tried to keep his breathing even. 

Harry was clearly pretending too, doing the same, even, measured breaths. 

“Did you find it?” Harry asked. 

Louis nearly dropped the phone and looked up, startled, at Harry’s face. “Find what?”

Harry cleared his throat. “The, uh, the tickets.”

“Oh,” Louis faked a laugh. “Yeah, of course the tickets.” He had forgotten all about them. He focused on the phone again, and this time found the right confirmation. First row to see Maggie Rogers the next night. “Yep. We’re good. Thanks for letting me double check.” Louis thrust Harry’s phone back into his hands. He wasn’t going to be borrowing it again for a long time. 

Harry pocketed his phone, and sat back on the couch. Louis sat back too, into the cradle of Harry’s arm. Fuck. He was so excited he could barely contain it. His heart rate hadn’t slowed at all. Harry wanted to marry him. Not just theoretically, but really, literally, wanted to put a ring on it and propose to Louis. 

Louis couldn’t control it when he started to giggle. 

Next to him, he felt Harry’s control slip, and he started to giggle too. 

They giggled side by side, until Harry stopped long enough to ask, “What are we laughing about?”

That set Louis off harder. “I don’t know,” he gasped. 

He was nearly getting a cramp in his side when Harry said, wiping the tears gathering in his eyes, “But you _do_ know.”

That set them off again, and for the rest of the night Louis would randomly burst into giggles when he thought of Harry’s ruined secret and the way that neither of them could control their laughter. 

As Louis was changing for bed that night, he couldn’t help how impatient he was. He pulled off his shirt, then couldn’t wait a second longer. He needed to know. “Hey Harry,” he said. 

Harry looked up from his phone, where he had been reading some article. He was wearing his glasses and he looked so cute that Louis could hardly stand it. He was giddy at the prospect of doing this, getting into a warm bed with his kind, smart, handsome husband, every night until forever. 

“Yeah?” Harry asked, when Louis didn’t just plow ahead with what he meant to say. 

“Is it…” Louis bit down on the smile that was threatening to erupt into more giggles. He breathed in deep as a way to stop it, and pushed his joggers down to his ankles. “I mean, is _it_ here? Like, in the house? Now?”

Harry’s lips did another funny thing, like he was trying not to smile either. He nodded, sharply. Then he bit his lip too and looked away. He hardly ever looked away when Louis was getting undressed, and weirdly, it made his dick twitch, seeing how hard it was for Harry to stay calm and serious when he was clearly just as giddy as Louis. 

Louis pulled off his joggers and left them in a pile on the floor, like every night, then stripped off his socks and left them too. He pulled back his side of the covers. He was almost always cold and if Harry wasn’t here probably would’ve thrown a hoodie on to sleep in in addition to his other clothes, but wrapped around Harry, he wanted all the skin-to-skin contact he could get, and he knew Harry would keep him warm. Instead of getting into bed though, Louis knelt on his side, legs folded under him, and asked, “Can we play the Hot and Cold game?”

Harry groaned, tilted his head toward Louis, and puckered up for a kiss. Louis was helpless to disobey. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Harry’s lips. “Absolutely not,” Harry said, as he darkened his phone and put it on the nightstand. 

“Please?” Louis wasn’t above begging. 

“No,” Harry was giggling again. “And stop asking, or you’re going to have to wait even longer.”

“Nooooo,” Louis cried, obnoxiously, over the top as he threw himself down on the bed like a toddler. 

“I love you, but I’m not going to tell you, no matter how many times you ask,” Harry said, still smiling. 

Louis propped himself up on one elbow and gave Harry’s leg a squeeze. “I love you too. Can’t wait to marry you, someday, maybe a day sooner rather than later.”

“Oh my god,” Harry groaned again. “I can’t wait to marry you either. But first… sleep.”

“Fiiiiiiiine,” Louis acquiesced. “Sleep now, proposal tomorrow.”

***

But Harry didn’t propose the next day. It had been a solid week and Harry hadn’t made any movement in the ‘pulling out the ring and getting down on one knee’ front. 

It was totally fine. Louis was doing just fine being so patient. He didn’t feel at all like he was going to jump out of his skin every moment he was alone with Harry.

Louis had looked almost almost everywhere, and still couldn’t find the hidden ring. It wasn’t in Harry’s sock drawer, underwear drawer, or t-shirt drawer. It wasn’t hidden in any of Harry’s shoes, or Louis’ fancy shoes that he only wears at weddings. It wasn’t in the back of the expensive knife drawer, or at the top of any closets, or under the bed. Next, Louis was going to concoct a plan to search Harry’s car without Harry noticing.

***

Louis was so focused on trying to find the ring, that he nearly forgot that it was their three-year anniversary. He didn’t forget, because it was marked on his calendar with a huge red heart, and the first thing he and Harry had mumbled to each other when they woke up was “happy anniversary I love you baby,” but he momentarily forgot until he was texting with Niall about possible places where the ring could be when Niall asked what they were doing for the big date. 

It was then that Louis inhaled sharply. _Of course._ Their anniversary. Louis smiled down at his phone. Harry was going to propose on their anniversary. The most romantic night of their year. Harry had always cooked an elaborate dinner, and there was historically been some ‘out of this world, life changing, world shaking’ fucking. 

When Louis got home from work, big bouquet behind his back, Harry was already in the kitchen, chopping up a cutting board full of veggies. Louis kissed Harry’s cheek, and nodded down at the array of colors. “Whatcha making?” 

Harry kissed his forehead. “You’re home early.”

“Well, it is our anniversary.” 

“I was trying to be sneaky,” Harry said with a raised eyebrow, before turning his attention back to the veggies and not commenting on the flowers that Louis was very obviously hiding behind his person. “I meant to have all these cut up before you got home. I’m making lasagna—with meat, don’t fret—and I’m sneaking these in so you can’t taste them or complain.”

Louis gasped dramatically. “I would never.” He flung the flowers around and held them out for Harry. “Happy three years, darling.”

Harry leaned over and took a deep breath, luxuriating in it for a moment before looking up to catch Louis’ eye and saying, “Best three years of my life. Never going to let you go.”

“Well that sounds a bit creepy,” Louis joked, because yeah, he felt the same.

“You can grab a vase from up there,” Harry vaguely motioned to the top of the fridge with his shoulder. “Cut the bottoms, and put them in water? While I’m chopping, if you don’t mind.”

“Nope,” Louis was confident this was the one thing in the kitchen he couldn’t fuck up. “Where do you want them?” he asked when he was done. 

“Table, maybe?” Harry said. 

“Roger that.” Louis turned to put them there, and that’s when he noticed almost the exact same bouquet already on the table.

He turned slowly, ready to glare at Harry. 

Harry was failing at hiding his smirk. “Got you flowers too,” he said. 

“The same ones?” Louis asked incredulously. 

Harry shrugged. “What can I say? I think we’ve got great taste.”

***

While Harry continued putting together the lasagne, Louis took a quick shower, washing the product out of his hair, and then put on the shirt that Harry always said brings out his eyes. He couldn’t stop smiling. There was a very real possibility that he’d be engaged to the man of his dreams by the end of the night. He did a little dance to get the excess energy out of his muscles before he rejoined Harry in the kitchen. 

“You okay?” Harry asked, at Louis’ obvious jitteriness. The silverware was actually quite loud when he realized how he had been mindlessly tapping out a beat.

“Yeah.” The smile was back. “I just really love you.”

A fond look slid over Harry’s face. “I love you too.” They looked at each other, matching softness and love radiating from their faces, until Harry stood up straight and said, “Well, it’s about ready. Hungry?”

Louis nodded. “You know I love your lasagna.”

“You love anything as long as you don’t have to cook it.”

“Yeah, yeah, that’s not exactly breaking news,” Louis said with a soft roll of his eyes. He picked up the bottle of wine and bread basket, then Harry shooed him into the dining room and swore he’d be able to get the rest. So it was a full service kind of night, Louis realized. Harry wasn’t letting any detail go un-taken care of. He was definitely going to be engaged before the dishes were done that night. He couldn’t fucking wait.

***

“Oh!” Harry snapped his head up from his plate and blinked at Louis in surprise. “I forgot…” Harry gave a little shake of his head and got up from the table. “Be right back,” he muttered to himself, a blush rising on his cheeks. 

Louis’ heart sped up. 

He had to let out a calm breath through his nose when Harry came shuffling back in, one hand in his pocket and the other holding a bottle of champagne. He was so devastatingly handsome, with his curls coming loose from his fingers constantly combing through them, and the tiniest dab of sauce on the corner of his mouth that Louis wanted to kiss away, his bright, earnest eyes. Louis’ heart actually _ached_ at how much he loved this man. It was ridiculous, really. He was a product of divorce and multiple broken homes and Harry had absolutely smashed his heart once before, but, here they were. Stronger, with patched over cracks. Spending the past few years together rebuilding what they had, but this time with both eyes forward, toward a future, together, instead of just enjoying moments as they flew by with no foundation.

The pop of the champagne bottle opening brought Louis back to the present.

Harry poured the champagne into two flutes, and passed one to Louis while holding his up. “What are we cheers-ing to?”

“Us.” Louis said simply. Our future. Our lives together. That ring in your pocket that will mean so much more than a promise. 

Harry gave him a toothy grin. “To us,” he said before taking a sip, then putting the glass down and picking up his fork. 

Louis slowly lowered his glass as well. It was clear Harry was enjoying the meal. And that there was no proposal coming with the champagne. 

Which was fine. Of course. The night was still young. Lots of anniversary to go still, and proposing while eating would of course derail the whole meal. So Louis took another sip, and relaxed back into the knowledge that it was happening, at some point. 

***

The rest of dinner was uneventful. As was the clean up afterwards. And the two episodes of _The Crown_ that they watched until Louis was too antsy to sit still any longer. Even tangled up with Harry on the couch, legs intertwined and hands gently caressing was not close enough for Louis. 

Their reuniting had taken some time. Louis still hadn't been entirely sure about Harry’s intentions. But it hadn't taken long for Harry to fall back under Louis’ good graces. It took some longer time after that for them to fall back into bed together. After they’d broken up, and Louis had left the country, Louis sowed his wild oats, so to speak. He’d decided that what he needed was celibacy in his life, then Harry showed up and really put those morals to the test. 

“Let’s go to bed,” Louis said, combing his fingers into Harry’s hair and scratching softly at his scalp. 

Harry arched into a kiss. “Yes. Great idea.”

Louis was keyed up by the time they got undressed and slid between the sheets.

The sex was soft, sweet caresses and staring into each other eyes as Harry clenched around Louis’ fingers and eventually around his cock. It was long, lingering kisses as they held each other, bruises from clinging to each other, whispered “I love you”s, and giving over to the pleasure that crested through them. 

Louis gently pet Harry’s back as they both came down from their highs. “Love you so much,” Harry cooed, his eyes soft and warm and everything Louis has everything wanted. 

“Love you too,” Louis said. It didn’t feel like enough. Like the love his in body was swelling up and out and his body wouldn't be able to contain it. But there was no outlet, other than his words. “Love you forever.”

Harry’s smile turned impossibly sweeter. He pecked Louis on the lips, then rolled away from him. Louis already missed the skin-to-skin contact. Harry opened the bedside table drawer, and took a deep breath.

Louis’ heart started racing again. It was time, he was sure. 

They generally fucked like animals, had even been kicked out of a party or two after being caught _en flagrante delicto_ by their friends walking through unlocked doors. Louis still wasn’t proud of the time Harry’s boss caught them grinding in a closet during the office party, or having to stop abruptly when the littlest set Louis’ siblings pounded down the basement stairs. Club bathrooms, the back of taxis, their kitchen floor, that one time on the back patio… Their sex was loud and hot and jealousy-inducing. Their passion for each other was unparalleled. 

_Making love_ was not generally in their repertoire. 

So of course when Harry turned back around, holding out a new brand of wet wipes, and saying, “I thought these might smell nice,” Louis blinked back tears and pasted on a smile. 

“Yeah, perfect, love,” Louis lied through his teeth.

***

It was a week later and Louis was still not engaged. He had also given up hunting for the ring because Harry was either a wizard or else had more superior hiding skills than Louis. Not that Louis would ever admit that out loud. Unfortunately, because of Louis’ big stupid mouth, his whole family knew it was coming and kept sending him eye emojis or question marks and he had to keep telling the nosy assholes that no, Harry still hadn’t put a ring on it. So it was impossible for Louis to put it out of his mind.

Louis wasn’t even totally sure why he was so keyed up for it. They had been together for years, discussing their future at each important step, Harry had bought the ring, Louis knew he was going to say yes, the whole ‘will they spend the rest of their lives together’ question was already sorted—the rest of their lives had already started, technically. 

The ring was just a formality.

But one that Louis really _really_ wanted. It was a public symbol that they were pledging their lives to each other. It wasn’t whispered dreams late at night or talking about a loud house full of children over quiet coffees, it was a loud declaration for everyone else. It was solid. A constant reminder of forever. 

And Louis wanted his forever to start immediately. 

Regardless of what Harry had planned. Because if he knew Harry, and he did, better than anyone, Harry was going to have something beautiful and grand and meaningful planned, something that Harry thought was going to be good enough for Louis. Louis loved how much Harry loved him, but also he already _knew_ that. It wasn’t like this one action was going to be a stand in for years of Harry _showing_ him respect and love, that was the stuff that mattered, in the end.

But Louis knew that Harry was going to try and do it right. He was trying to be appreciative and patient. It was only half working. But he was trying. 

***

With a shouted “Fucking hell!” Louis threw the Playstation controller to the side. It bounced on the couch cushion and landed against Harry’s thigh. 

“Sorry, this game is just such a fucking pile of shit,” Louis said, shaking his head. He hated that he got so caught up in the game, _passionate_ Harry said when Louis got too frustrated with himself. “I’m going to stop playing.”

Harry snorted beside him and put down his book. “Doubt it. You say that every time.”

“I mean it this time. Fucking piece of… I hate it.” Louis tilted his head back against the couch; maybe he’d calm down quicker looking at the ceiling instead of replays of him losing the race. 

“Marry me,” Harry said, clear as day. 

Louis snapped his head around to look at Harry. His eyes had gone wide and it looked like he was trying to invent time travel so he could take it back. 

“Did you just—”

“No!” Harry shook his head. “Nope. I definitely didn’t propo—”

“Yes.” Louis shifted his hips so he was facing Harry. “Yes. Please. I love you. I want to be engaged. I don’t want to wait a moment longer. Please, ask again.”

“But I had a whole—”

“I want it now. Like this.”

Harry looked down at his own grey sweats and put a hand on Louis’ knee, below his mesh basketball shorts. “You sure?”

Louis nodded. “I’m sure.”

Harry sucked his bottom lip into his mouth; his nervous tick. Louis moved closer, practically in Harry’s lap, and gave him a peck on the lips. There was no reason to be nervous. Louis was a sure thing. 

“Be right back.” Harry stood up and disappeared around the corner. 

Louis sat, wringing his hands, and did his best not to follow Harry. He’d be back in a second and then they’d be engaged. He couldn’t wipe the smile off his face and his leg bounced in anticipation. 

“Louis.” Harry reappeared, with a blazer on top of his oldest, most ripped up t-shirt, and Louis started to giggle. Harry had one hand behind his back and Louis knew what he was hiding, which made him giggle harder. 

“Harry.”

“I love you so much,” Harry said, taking a few steps closer. “I hate that you’re giggling through this but I should know by now to expect the unexpected with you.” He got down on one knee in front of Louis. 

“I’m too happy. My body doesn’t know how to contain it, and it’s bubbling up as laughter.”

“Louis William Tomlinson. I love you more than I could ever express. I love you when you clean up all nice and we go out and I get to show you off, which is how this was planned, by the way, but I love you most of all when we’re home, just us, relaxing without any pretense.” Harry finally brought his hidden hand out, and held up a navy blue velvet box. “Sometimes, even when you’re just lounging around playing video games, I’m overcome with how much I love you and how I want to spend the rest of my days with you.”

“Embarrassing, really,” Louis joked. The tears welling in his eyes started to fall and he swiped them away quickly. “I wouldn’t know anything about that.”

Harry snapped open the ring box, and Louis gasped at the black titanium ring inlaid with two tiny rows of black diamonds. It was spectacular and so much more than he expected… and it was absolutely perfect. 

“What the fuck, Harry? This is too much… it’s—”

“I’ve loved you since the very first time you tugged on my curls, and I’m going to keep loving you forever, until the day I die. Nothing will ever be too much for you; it’s impossible to express the depth of my love for you. But I hope to show you, every single day, that I support you and want to raise a family with you, and laugh together. I want lazy days at home, us, together, forever.”

Louis gave up on trying to wipe away his tears. 

“Will you marry me?” Harry finally _finally_ asked. 

“Yes,” Louis sobbed. “Of course. I’m going to love you so hard, going to marry you hard, going to be the very best husband of all time.”

Harry pried the ring out as Louis presented his finger, and then Harry slid it on. It fit perfectly. 

It was the best engagement Louis could’ve possibly dreamed up. 

**Author's Note:**

> Please do not post this fic or any of my other fics on any other websites. I'm not currently allowing translations either. Thank you for respecting my wishes.
> 
> [Here's a shareable tumblr link if you enjoyed it, and want to reblog!](https://louandhazaf.tumblr.com/post/189828785393/theres-a-ring-in-the-house-louisharry-3k)  
> [Here's a twitter link if you enjoyed it, and want to retweet!](https://twitter.com/Lou_and_Haz_AF/status/1209142809699258368?s=20)


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